Carrying On
by wethinkyouthinktoomuchofus
Summary: Will Byers didn't really know how he got here. But he did know that he never wanted to leave. Amidst all the terror of his young life, Will Byers has his first kiss. Will he and Elliott make it? Or fall at the hands of those around them? Set after season three, in which Hopper is still there and the Byers didn't move. Will/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello folks! I hope you enjoy this piece. I really just wanted to give Will some dedicated time for building a romance he deserves, and space to heal from what happened in season 3. In this headcanon, Hopper didn't die, didn't get fired, and Joyce didn't move with Eleven and Will. She and Hopper started dating after the events of season 3, and Eleven didn't lose her powers. Everything else is the same. **

**I hope you enjoy, and please leave me a review with your feedback! **

"Bye!" Will's face fell as he watched his mom and Hopper drive away, leaving him alone at the front of Hawkins High School. _High School_. It was really here. Will was not sure he was ready, especially after the summer he had just endured, in which both his life and friendships were rattled by the Upside Down.

Thankfully, they were all managing after what happened earlier in the summer. Since they brought down the Mind Flayer, Eleven continued working to control her powers as she prepared to enroll in High School. Max slowly but surely was healing from the loss of her brother. Relationships gradually fell back into place as their normal everyday lives felt a bit more comfortable each day. Even Joyce and Hopper had started officially "going steady" as they put it.

Will wished he had someone of his own to as he healed from the summer. He had his friends, his mom, Jonathan, but he craved something else. _Someone else._

Will purposely walked up to the looming, large doors, vigilant of the kids milling around him, watching for a sign of Troy or another mouth breather. _All clear._ Will's shoulders settled a bit.

"BYERS!" Three bikes whizzed past Will, barely missing him. Will shrieked involuntarily, and Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, who had just nearly flattened him, snickered.

Will loved his friends, but they could really be the worst sometimes. The three of them grinned ear to ear, parking their bikes in the bike rack near the school entrance.

Mike elbowed Will gently, teasing "You scream like a little girl, Byers." Will rolled his eyes and squashed down the tiny burn of butterflies deep in his stomach that had brewed for years before he finally began getting over Mike this summer. He knew there would always be something special about the way he felt about Mike, but he was finally moving on and not jealous of Mike being with El at all anymore.

Speak of the devil, El and Max bounded up, El snaking under Mike's arm immediately and Max punching Lucas on the shoulder. "Hello, friends" El giggled. "First day of school."

Lucas, who was wincing at the loving greeting from his girlfriend, squeaked out "Hey El. How was the sleepover?" Both girls looked at each other and giggled again.

Rolling his eyes, Mike grabbed El's hand. "Yeah yeah yeah, secret girl stuff, okay." They begin migrating to the school, and frenzied small talk erupted amongst the group. Will was happy to have his friends but slowly found himself zoning out a bit. He didn't really belong with them all the time. Lucas was with Max, Dustin was always calling Suzie, Steve and Robin were inseparable best friends, Mike and El were attached at the hip, and even his own brother was always with Nancy, talking about college applications and next year's life plan.

Will just… didn't fit. He felt like the odd one out a lot. This was particularly fueled by the feelings he had been keeping deep inside for years. Feelings that, if he allowed himself to be honest about, might remove him from the group completely. To him, no feelings of relief that his admission would bring were worth losing his family and friends, so he stayed quiet. He would take being slightly on the sidelines over being removed from the game entirely any day.

It was while in this reverie that Will absolutely crashed into someone else, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice his friends moving to miss the person. They landed in a tangle of limbs. Will groaned and rolled onto his back, before being hit with a surge of guilt. He scrambled to help the kid gather his stuff, rushing out "Oh my GOD, I am so sorry, are you oka-" Will's words caught in his throat as his hand reached out and touched a comic book at the same time as the mystery person. Will looked up and was taken aback. Across from him was a boy; not just a boy, but the most beautiful boy Will had ever seen. The butterflies normally reserved for Mike and the occasional attractive movie star burst up all the way to his throat, and his jaw dropped. The boy had curly, semi-long dark curls, bright blue eyes, and an elfin face. His button nose and small mouth were scrunched in a smile, though Will could tell he was holding in a groan of pain. The boy was skinny but toned, and he was wearing a fall sweater and clean (well, they were probably clean before) slacks, with light blue laced sneakers to top off the look. He was… stylish. _Stylish, in Hawkins, Indiana? Now that was pretty rare._

"Are YOU okay?" Will realized the boy was talking to him.

Embarrassed, he moved his hand (from where it had stayed brushed on the mystery boy's) and scrambled up, dusting himself off. "I'm fine, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you."

The boy chuckled, high and light, like bells chiming for church. Will melted a little bit more. "It's no worry, I survived, and so did my prize copy of the most recent edition of Superman. If that hadn't, then you might have been in trouble, but we are all good." He winked, wiggling the comic book that Will had tried to help him pick up, and held out his free hand. "Name's Elliott Chapman. And you are?"

Will's face flushed and he shakily held out his hand. "Will. Uh, Byers. Will Byers."

They shook hands, and Elliott's eyes softened even more. "Well, it has been nice to meet you, Will Byers. Even if you did attack me before we even spoke." He winked again. _Why is that so damned cute?_ "I'm the official new kid this year. At least I can tell my parents the name of one kid I met when I get home, so they don't get too worried about me." This was meant to be a joke, but Will sensed a tiny shift in Elliott's behavior. Was it sadness? Will couldn't tell.

"Well, if you need someone to sit with at lunch, you can sit with us! And we can test you on your Superman knowledge to see if you are a real fan." Dustin piped in, Will shot to look at his friends, realizing he had been completely absorbed in Elliott since the fall.

"Uh, yeah! If you want to, feel free. Be warned though, we are the loser table." Mike offered, though the ever-protective side of him seemed a little annoyed that Dustin had opened their party to this mystery new kid.

Will turned back to Elliott and nodded, stuttering out "Totally, if you want you can sit with us."

Elliott smiled warmly, and whispered, "The loser table, eh? Sounds like a match made in heaven for me. Count me in. I'll knock your socks off with Superman facts"

"Great! Third one from the back - I have had that claimed since middle school." Dustin smiled, baby teeth peeking in his pink gums. "First lunch bell, we'll meet you there." As if on cue, the warning bell for first period rang, and the party scrambled to get to their lockers with a chorus of "oh shits", leaving Will and Elliott to stand facing one another for one more moment.

"Will Byers," Elliott smiled and gestured toward the doors. "Care to show me where "Mr. Pr-O-letter's classroom is? As repayment for the morning clobber?"

Will flushed again and nodded. "Oh, yeah, of course. By the way, it's Mr. Pr-AH-letter, he hates when people mess it up." The walked through the double doors. "First door on the left at the end of the hall."

"Thank you so much. See you at lunch?" Elliott smiled and clasped Will's shoulder. Will melted into the touch a bit.

"Yeah, of course, see you then." Will's eyes followed Elliott with a dreamy gaze as he sprinted surprisingly quickly down the hall before scanning a door tag and slipping out of view. _He is… perf-_ Will's daydream was broken by the sound of the actual first-period attendance bell. "Fuck!" He sprinted away, mind still reeling over Elliott.


	2. Chapter 2

It was two weeks into high school, and Will was in love. To be completely honest, he fell in love the first moment he laid eyes on Elliott. But since the new kid had begun joining them at their lunch table, and more recently, arcade and mall outings, those feelings had begun completely absorbing Will.

Elliott always sat next to Will at lunch, and for the first time, he didn't feel like an outsider. It was like Elliott was the glue that tied Will to his friends. Elliott got along well with everyone. He was incredibly polite and painfully goofy, with a bountiful knowledge of nerdy trivia to keep everyone entertained. Elliott was a great listener, too, and really took in what folks were saying. Best of all, he always gave room for timid Will to speak, asking him questions and making him a part of every conversation. The party warmed to him immediately and declared him one of their own.

Will, meanwhile, made a point to memorize everything he could about Elliott Chapman. Elliott was a single child from Detroit, MI, and his parents were immigrants from Ireland. Elliott himself had a tiny bit of an Irish accent, that really came out when he was flustered, something Dustin and Lucas LOVED to mess around with. He loved puppies and used to take summer trips to Lake Michigan with his dad and stepmom all the time (Elliott's birth mom died when he was young, something he was very hesitant to talk about). He was a great runner, and made varsity cross country right away, even as a freshman. He hated lettuce but loved broccoli and listened to the Beatles on repeat. Lastly, he loved sunsets. Any time he saw one, he would stop and smile wistfully to himself. Will wondered why it was so consistent, but he never asked. Some secrets are personal and worth just observing.

Will was head over heels with this boy. But… he couldn't say anything and risk betraying his secret. So, his feelings festered from afar, like his feelings for Mike had at one point in his life. He had a handle on it though. He wouldn't let it show.

This handle was put to the test when Elliott was invited to the group's first movie night of the new school year.

Everyone in the party besides Elliott, including Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve and Robin (who snuck out the free movies from work) were already in the basement, waiting for Elliott to arrive once cross-country practice finished.

"I'm excited to meet your new friend, Mike," Nancy smiled from her place in Jonathan's lap, where they were doing homework together to pass the time.

Mike smiled and nodded vigorously. "Yeah, at first, I was nervous he wouldn't be a good fit for the party but it turns out he is perfect. Though, he is definitely closest to Will. Should I be jealous of him stealing you, best friend?" Mike poked Will in the ribs playfully as he set down the freshly delivered pizza. Will blushed, for many reasons, one being that Mike had referred to them as best friends, a reminder of his care that Will appreciated greatly. More importantly, however, he blushed because Mike had pointed out how close Elliott and him and had become, something Will was secretly obsessing over.

As if on cue, the doorbell upstairs rang. "Mike, your friend is here!" Mrs. Byers yelled down from the living room.

"Coming, Mom!" Mike screamed in his signatory basement communication voice. "Come on Will, let's go let him in!" Both boys bounded up the stairs, Will's heart leaping in his chest. Why am I so nervous over a damned movie night?

There WAS a reason, he wasn't just being crazy. Movie night was "snuggle" night now that everyone had paired up with a romantic interest. Only himself, Dustin, Steve, and Robin were single, and they sat alone on the floor or in an armchair while everyone else entangled themselves on the couch or floor. Will was nervous because he knew the entire time they were there, all he would want to do was -

"Hey, Elliott!" Mike's smiling greeting brought Will back to the present. Elliott beamed, arms wide with snacks. He was freshly showered and done up after his run in his classic cute outfit, and Will could hardly handle it.

"Hey, Mike! Hey, Byers!" Elliott winked at Will, something he reserved only for him since their first collision. He shuffled his shoes off and followed the boys downstairs.

"Elliott! Hey man, how are you!" Dustin called out.

"Elliott, my man, you brought Takis? I could kiss you right now." Max yelled, diving off the couch and grabbing the bag from Elliott.

Lucas looked a bit affronted, but recovered quickly, nodding jokingly and saying, "Honestly, same," as he ripped open the bag and shoved a handful in his mouth.

Will chuckled awkwardly. Same. Ha. SAME.

"So, this is Elliott?" Nancy asked, standing and walking over to him with Jonathan. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nancy, Mike's sister."

"Yeah, nice to meet you. Will won't stop talking about you." Jonathan quipped, and Will internally groaned. He HAD been talking a lot about Elliott at home, but that's normal with a new friendship, right?

"Hello Nancy, it is lovely to meet you, and you as well, Jonathan I am assuming? Glad to hear Will has been buttering me up to you guys." Elliott smiled and shook everyone's hands. He is such a gentleman, Will thought to himself. If I ever took him home one day, he would be so good to Mom, make a really good impression as my - Will shook his head a bit, clearing the wishful thinking from his mind.

"Sup, dude, I'm Steve, the hair, Harrington. Though I am sure you have heard about me, I am, uh, kind of a school legend, especially with these kids." Stave smiled wide, shaking Elliott's hand.

Dustin nodded, fist-bumping Steve, while Robin, rolled her eyes. "And I am Robin, mistress of this home theater because I am the one who stole the movies from work and therefore am the one with the ass on the line." Elliott laughed and shook her hand as well.

"So… movie?" Eleven asked sneakily, and Mike needed no further invitation.

"Yes! Nightmare on Elm Street, do your worst!" He popped the movie in, jumped next to her on the couch, and smiled as she nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder. Everyone else finished grabbing their snacks and made their way to their seats. Robin and Steve took the floor in the back corner, flicking Cheetos at one another. Nancy and Jonathan stayed in the back as well, doing homework under the lamp and having a soft, smiling conversation with one another. Lucas and Max squeezed beside Eleven and Mike on the couch, immediately playing goofy footsie with one another. Dustin sank deep into the lounge chair beside them, shoving popcorn in his mouth and crunching loudly. This left Will, Elliott, and one love seat.

"Uhm, you can take the seat, Elliott," Will said, moving to sit on the ground.

Elliott beat him to it however and slid onto the rug right in front of the seat. "Uh-uh, no way, you take the seat Byers, I prefer the floor anyway." Will sighed good-naturedly but conceded and climbed a bit awkwardly over Elliott and into the seat. He curled his legs up out of Elliott's way and wrapped up in the blanket laying there.

"You can stretch your legs if you want," Elliott said, whispering now, as everyone began focusing on the movie's opening credits. "I don't mind leaning against them. That way, I can force you to share that extremely fuzzy blanket too."

Will couldn't see Elliott's face, but he could hear the smile in his voice. He smiled too, and slowly and nervously stretched his legs downward as Elliott leaned forward to give him room. As Elliott leaned his warm back on Will's shins, Will gently lowered the blanket over his shoulders. Whoa. How did I get so close to him? Will wondered to himself. He felt so lucky. Elliott gave a soft sigh and relaxed back into him, tightening the shared fleece blanket around his slight frame. Will let a secret smile bloom, glad the dark basement wouldn't give away his excited expression.

The movie was scary enough to get everyone riled up. The group was in the mood to be frightened and were having quite the time shrieking at each jump-scare moment and groaning at the gruesome murders. Halfway through the movie, El was practically in Mike's lap, and Dustin had leaped atop Max and Lucas and squeezed between the two. Even Nancy and Jonathan had scooted closer to the television, giggling along with Robin and Steve over the younger teens' extreme reactions. Elliott, however, was not the biggest fan of horror movies and was a bit quieter. Will felt him grow tenser and tenser with each bloody screen. Will could empathize. While Dungeons and Dragons, however akin to his experiences in the Upside Down, gave him a sense of power and ownership over what happened in the last couple of years, scary movies just turned his stomach in knots. When you had seen, heard, and felt death all around you, scary movies weren't quite so appealing.

Elliott began shaking a bit, and Will tuned in even more to the feeling of his frame on his legs. "You okay?" He whispered quietly enough to be unnoticed by their friends.

Elliott gulped. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Violence just… isn't my thing." He squinted as the screen was filled with blood again.

Will blinked and nodded, unsure of how to help. He settled for patting Elliott's shoulder comfortingly. Suddenly, he felt tentative fingers brush his hand, then squeeze it. Elliott glanced up at Will and gave a weak smile. "Thanks for dealing with me Byers. I promise I'm having fun, just a bit squeamish."

Will had to chuckle. Even when shaken, Elliott was focused on everyone else's feelings. "You have nothing to worry about Elliott. We are so happy you're here." Elliott's smile in response melted Will's heart.

"Thanks, Byers. I… I'm happy I'm here too." Just then, the jump scare on the screen set off everyone in screams. Will jolted at the sound and unconsciously clutched Elliott's hand. Elliott, meanwhile, backed even further into Will's legs and shrieked, shielding his eyes.

As the moment passed, the party laughed, and Will blushed ferociously. He looked down and drew his hand away slowly from Elliott. "I'm sorry, that was-" Will muttered.

Elliott flashed a smile at him and breathed out, "No sorries, Byers."

Will returned the smile and relaxed a bit, folding his hands in his lap and clutching at the feeling of electricity their proximity just gave him. He felt a low coil in his belly and fought down the rising heat in his body. Fuck hormones, he chastised himself. He focused on the screen and tried to force down his growing attraction for Elliott. After all, he had already convinced himself it could never happen, convinced himself that there was no way someone like Elliott could be… could be like Will. He would just have to get over that.


	3. Chapter 3

Two months into classes, things were looking good for the entire party. Eleven was settling into classes. The entire party was leading the High School AV club with vigor, welcoming Elliott into their ranks and working on new projects weekly. Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan were working on college applications and Steve made manager at the video store, something Dustin celebrated over for an entire week, much to the group's loving annoyance. Will slowly felt calmer and calmer as the days went on, his nightmares reducing little by little as he recognized that the Mind Flayer really was gone now.

Most importantly, Will and Elliott were growing closer every day.

The thing was, Elliott was brilliant. He was a huge addition to the AV club, bringing in new ideas from his school back in Michigan. In class, he was an excellent student, and the whole party loved studying together. El and Elliott grew a special friendship as well, as he tutored her in mathematics and science to help her catch up to the high school level curriculum. This meant that he was over often to work with El, and Will got to spend even more time by his side. Will worried a bit that his perceptive Mom would notice him blatantly pining for this boy, but she was always too preoccupied in growing her relationship with Hopper that she didn't notice Will's infatuation. He was grateful – he was nowhere near ready to broach that topic with her.

One side of Elliott that brought something new to the party was Elliott being on the cross-country team. No one in their group had ever really been "sporty", so they had never had a reason to go to any school athletics games or meets. Elliott being a varsity runner, however, changed things, and when he invited them to his Sectional meet where the team would see if they qualify for State's, the entire party was excited to go and support their new friend. Will especially was looking forward to seeing Elliott in his element. His heart thumped a bit harder at the thought of Elliott's athletic, toned frame.

They all arrived right on time to the meet, emerging clumsily after being packed into Steve and Jonathan's cars, stiff from the tight 20-minute drive to the meet location.

"Jesus, I am never sitting between you two fuckers again," Max huffed, pushing out from between Lucas and Dustin.

"Come on, HE started it!" Lucas threw his hands up and ran after his girlfriend.

"I started it my ass!" Dustin called after his friend, Lucas responding with a swift middle finger. The rest of the party rolled their eyes and laughed, following Lucas and Max to the friends and family area at the start line of the meet. Eleven hopped on Mike's back and laughed as he gave her a piggyback ride to catch up to Dustin.

Will smiled from the back of the group. He had grown happier and happier for Mike and Eleven as the months went by, as he was no longer that jealous due to his feeling shifting over to focus solely on Elliott.

"Come on Will! They're about to start!" Jonathan called. Will smiled softly and ran forward to the edge of the course.

He caught eyes with Elliott right away. Elliott was one of the top varsity runners on the Hawkins Cross Country Team and therefore was right near the edge of the starting area. Elliott gave his signature wink and a big thumbs up to everyone. Will was filled with warmth.

"WHOOOOOOO! RUN ELLIOTT!" Eleven yelled very loudly.

Mike covered his ears and cackled. "Fuck, El, I shouldn't have told you how to cheer."

The runners took position to start, and with the shot of the gun, they were off. And WOW. Elliott was not kidding when he said he was fast. He took off with long, easy, and swift strides, easily earning a top ten place in the beginning line up of the run. Will felt a surge of pride for his friend.

The party whooped and cheered him on as he disappeared along the racecourse. Since the cross-country course here looped around to end back near the starting area, the party moved over to get a good view of the finish line. It only took about 17 minutes for the leading runners to come back into view down the trail. The party watched as Elliott charged up behind the 5th and 4th place runners, determinedly slipping past them and into fourth place.

"Come on, Elliott," Will whispered under his breath. Elliott surged up behind third place near the end of the course, the two runners' feet pounding and arms swinging wildly as they sprinted it out to the finish line. It was then that Will's ears tuned into someone yelling "Come ON Elliott, go get him! Go get him! Push harder!" Will's eyes snapped to the voice and saw what could only be Elliott's father. They held a striking resemblance, their hair and sharp features similar. The biggest difference was that Elliott's face was always warm and soft. This man's eyes and jaw were hard and set. Will shuddered, without really knowing why.

Elliott surged forward lurching to gain a lead on the boy in front of him. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite make up the speed and the two finished neck and neck, with the other boy just ahead of Elliot. Will yelled in joy and support as Elliott finished, stumbling and slowing, raising his hands to clasp behind the back of his head, breathing heavily and walking to cool down. The boy who had just beat Elliott clapped him on the shoulder, and they smiled and shook hands respectfully. Will's heart soared at his friend's continued kindness.

As the party ran over to congratulate Elliott, the man Will assumed to be Elliott's father beat them to it. Elliott seemed to tense as he arrived and grabbed his shoulder tightly, speaking lowly to him. They neared the pair just in time to hear the tail end of what seemed to be a tense conversation. Elliott's father's slight Irish accent would have excited the party more had it not been for what he was huffing out under his breath.

"I'm sorry, I won't let it happen again."

"You better fucking not, I don't come here to see you lose Elliott. And I definitely don't come here to see you lose and then act all faggy with the kid that beat you."

"Dad, we just shook hands-"

"I never know what's what with you."

The party slowed their approach awkwardly, unsure if they should get closer or not. Elliott locked eyes with Will and smiled weakly, gesturing him over with a stiff wave. "Hey everyone. Father, these are my friends from school. Everyone, this is my dad." Elliott looked expectantly at his father as the group approached. The man hardly responded, merely straightening and casting a cold gaze toward the group. There was an awkward silence in which the party didn't know exactly what to say.

Finally, Dustin broke the tense moment, squeaking out, "Elliott, you were incredible!" His praise opened the floor for everyone else to chime in.

"Yeah, I mean we knew you were good, but not like, that good!"

"I could never run that far in my life."

"I can't believe you didn't have like a heart attack in the middle of that."

"Good run, kid."

"FOURTH PLACE? You are incredible!"

The crowd converged on Elliott, and Dustin ran up for a quick hug. Elliott stiffened unnaturally, and Dustin pulled away quickly, worried he had done something wrong. It was almost frightening seeing how unnaturally stiff and unaffectionate the typically warm and bubbly boy was acting. Will realized that Elliott's father had grown stiffer when Dustin ran up for the hug and winced at how terrified Elliott seemed. His mind flashed back to the conversation they had run in on, and back to Elliott's father's words, "I never know what's what with you." Will was unsure what all of that meant, but it had obviously struck a chord with Elliott.

"Thank you everyone," Elliott smiled at them, but his eyes were sad. "I have to go be with my team, but you have no idea how thankful I am that you all came."

"Of course! It was so fun, I can't wait to come see you at States!" Mike said, trying to lighten the mood. "Now go get your medal, Elliott!"

Elliott smiled a bit more brightly at his friends before steeling over a bit and looking at his father. "I am going to go watch the girls' varsity race. Will you be home tonight?"

Elliott's dad grunted in return, muttering as he walked away toward the parking lot, "No, Victoria and I are going out. Food is in the fridge."

Elliott winced visibly but replaced his expression with a bubblier one as he turned back to his friends. "Thanks for coming again. I really care about you guys." He took off towards his team, who cheered as he neared them. He had earned first place in Hawkins' varsity lineup after all. Will watched him go, saddened by the obviously defunct relationship Elliott had with his father. It reminded Will of his own Dad, and it made him even sadder that Elliott had to deal with that kind of shit in his life.

"Wow… that was…" Max trailed off.

"Awkward." Lucas agreed. The group began walking towards the cars, simmering in the feelings the encounter had ignited. Will's eyes were locked on Elliott, however, and he noticed the boy exit the round of congratulations from his teammates and jog off towards the bathrooms. Something compelled Will to stop.

"Hey guys? I'll be right back, I have to use the bathroom." Will didn't even wait for a response and instead took off running after Elliott.

Will spied him walking past the bathrooms and towards a cluster of large trees, where he slipped behind one and out of view. Will jogged the rest of the way and called out, "Elliott?"

He only heard sniffling in response. Will followed the sound to the largest oak tree and rounded its corner. Elliott was pressed against the tree sobbing quietly, face pressed to his arms and folded knees. He looked so small, so sad. Will's heart broke.

"Elliott?" Will repeated, much more quietly. The boy didn't look up, but his sniffling quieted a bit. Will stood, unsure what to do, for about fifteen seconds. Finally, as he was contemplating leaving and letting Elliott sit on his own, the boy's muffled voice rang out.

"I don't know how to be enough for him."

Will stood still for a moment, and then boldly stepped closer to Elliott, crouching beside him and settling against the tree as well. "Elliott… you are… MORE than enough. And he should see that."

Elliott bit his lip ruefully. "He used to. He used to think I was perfect. Because he pushed me to be. I could never make a mistake without upsetting him, so I never made a mistake. It drove my mother crazy, I think, because even when she was perfect, she was never enough for him. She used to cry like this every night, before…" He trailed off. Will wasn't sure whether to stay silent or say something. It was obvious a lot was going unsaid. They stayed there in the thick quiet for a few moments.

"Whatever. Since we were forced to move here, it hasn't been the same. He'll never see me the same." Elliott choked back a sob. "I'll never be enough, no matter how hard I work, no matter how fast I run, no matter how smart I am. Always just a little…" he trailed off again. Will's mind was reeling. There were too many holes for him to know exactly what to say or how to help.

Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. "You HAD to move here?" Will gazed into Elliott's eyes, who seemed foggy and closed off.

"Yeah. There was… an incident back home." He went silent again. Will decided not to press it.

"Well you don't deserve this, Elliott. You are… you are the greatest person I know." Will went out on a limb, letting himself tell a small truth of his feelings towards his friend.

Elliott's breath hitched. "Byers, you are such a special person. Sometimes I can't even tell why, but you're just different. You are the best friend I could have ever asked for coming here." Now it was Will's turn to hitch a breath. He was flooded with joy and love over Elliott's display of friendship, but even more convinced now that he could never risk their friendship with his budding feelings, no matter what the strange pieces of conversation today hinted because if he assumed wrong and lost Elliott, Will would be devastated. So, no matter how badly Will wanted to shout how much he loved this boy, how he wanted to save him from this cruel world, how he wanted to hold and kiss his tears away, he knew he never could.

So, he settled for, "Thank you Elliott. I am really glad we're friends too." Elliott smiled down into his knees. They sat in comforting silence for a beat before Elliott slowly stood. Will followed suit.

Elliott wiped his blotchy red face and chuckled, seemingly a bit embarrassed by his emotions. "Wow, I hope you don't think I am crazy now."

Will choked back a laugh. If only Elliott knew the crazy stories Will could tell him. "Never."

The pair strolled back toward the meet area. "Thank you again," Elliott said sheepishly. "I'm going to head back to my team. I'll see you tomorrow, Byers?" He smiled when he said Will's last name, and Will returned it. With that, Elliott was sprinting off again, and Will was left to watch his retreating form, battling the feelings and broken details crashing inside his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

"How does this one work with 'quadratic formula'?" El asked, clutching her pencil in frustration and staring at her math worksheet.

"The quadratic formula is…" Elliott scooted in and scratched down the numbers neatly at the top of her sheet. "…right here. You are so close, El. Remember the last problem? It's the exact same thing, we just need to rearrange the formula, so it looks like a quadratic."

Will tuned out listening to the specific words of his sister and his crush going over homework on the other side of the room, and instead basked in the sweetness of Elliott's voice in general. He was sketching the other boy's face unconsciously, taking secret peeks over to try and get all the details right. He'd been working on this sketch for a whole week, wanting it to be perfect down to the last detail, and he was finally close to finished.

Suddenly, his mom and Hopper walked in. Will shut his book quickly and hoped that his mom hadn't noticed the suspicious behavior. Fortunately, her eyes were glued to Hop and she was laughing at something he had just said. Will took the moment to stuff the book back into his bookbag and zip it shut.

"Hey, how's math going?" Joyce asked warmly, she and Hop moving to gather around the living room couch.

Elliott returned her warm smile graciously. "El is catching up excellently. She is pretty brilliant, Joyce. We are actually a lesson ahead right now."

Eleven looked scandalized, swatting his arm. "We are ahead? You mean we could have been done already?"

Elliott chuckled. "Sorry, sorry, you were just doing such a great job! I didn't want to mess with your flow."

Joyce and Hopper beamed at Eleven. "You really are brilliant, El. I can't believe how quickly you soak everything up." Hopper chose his words carefully. Elliott didn't know anything about Eleven's past, or anything about the upside down. He only knew that she was Hopper's adopted daughter, new in classes like him, and that she needed some extra tutoring help.

"And special thanks to you, Elliott. Thanks for all your help these past few months." Joyce praised the boy warmly.

Elliott beamed bashfully and nodded. "It has been my pleasure."

Hopper clapped his hands together. "Well, El, we should be heading over to your appointment now." He tousled her hair affectionately, which she begrudgingly allowed, and then he looked to Joyce. "Were you going to head into town to grab some groceries? I can run to get them for you if you want?"

Will smiled. Hopper had grown into such an excellent father to Eleven and a boyfriend for his mom. Joyce too smiled and said, "Oh no, I don't want to worry you with that. Plus, I need to give Elliott a ride home."

Elliott piped in now, "Actually, Ms. Byers-"

"For the hundredth time sweet boy, please call me Joyce!" Joyce smirked at Elliott's ingrained manners.

"_Joyce, _I was thinking about maybe sticking around for a bit? I brought Superman over as a surprise and thought we could all three watch it after tutoring."

Will's ears perked.

El huffed and deflated. "Oh no, I have to go to my appointment. H- Dad, can I pleeeeease skip, just today?"

Hop bristled at her near name mistake and shook his head. "No way, my girl, this is an appointment we cannot miss."

Will could tell this was a _special_ appointment, part of the contract Hop made with the government when he could adopt El. They really couldn't miss it then.

Joyce came to the rescue. "Hey, how about you kids have a movie night here this weekend? I'll buy Joe's Pizza for anyone who can make it." El seemed satisfied with that and began packing up her things. "But Elliott, you're free to stick around and watch the movie with Will, if you'd like?

Elliott turned and made eye contact with Will suddenly. "Will?" He asked.

Will stood up and nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, that sounds fun." Elliott grinned.

Joyce clapped her hands. "Great! Hop, El, I'll follow you out and get those groceries. Will, Elliott, make sure to let Jonathan know if you are heading outside for anything. Stick in the area though, it's too late for you to head over to Mike's." Will groaned internally at his mom treating him like a little kid in front of Elliott but bit his tongue. He knew it was only because she cared.

"Okay Mom, sounds good," Joyce smiled and followed Hop and El outside, the three calling final goodbyes as the door shut behind them. This left Will and Elliott. Alone. Well, alone in the living room with Jonathan and Nancy kissing in his bedroom.

Elliott looked sneakily at Will and brandished the VHS tape. "Superman?" Will nodded gleefully.

The movie was great, but by the end, the boys were getting antsy. For Will, it was because he had just spent the last two hours wedged in next to his crush, unable to make any move. Will had to tear himself from sneaking glances at Elliott's sweet face the entire film, and he was filled with nervous energy. As for Elliott, Will had learned over the last couple months that he was ALWAYS filled with energy, and always wanting to move. The party joked that this was why he was such a good runner. So, it was no surprise when Elliott whispered conspiratorially, "Hey, Byers? Think you can beat me in a race?"

He waggled his eyebrows and Will snickered. "Um, Elliott, I KNOW that I can't beat you. You are literally our best varsity cross country runner, and I am… well, me."

Elliott laughed and then pouted, biting his lip in the way he always did when he was plotting. "But I am sooooo antsy! What if I gave you a head start?"

Will sighed. He didn't want Elliott to be bored, but he also did not want to make a fool of himself in front of his new friend.

"My mom said not to go too far…"

"We don't have to go far at all! Promise. Let's race on that big road by your place. What's that funny name you call it again?"

Will shuddered a little but kept a straight face. "Mirkwood."

"Yeah! That one. I'll give you a head start, and we'll run to that stop sign up that road. We can even play for next month's edition of Superman."

Will paused. _It might be fun. A new way to connect with him… _"Fiiiiine. We can race. But don't be upset when I am no competition at all, even with a head start."

Elliott literally leaped for joy, much to Will's enjoyment. Before heading out, Will peeked his head into his brother's room, earning him a prompt pillow to the face, causing his "I'm going out" to turn into "I'm garbing art!" This earned another laugh from Elliott, and Will's stomach flipped joyfully. "We'll be back in five minutes!" Will called through the closed door.

"Let's go," Elliott had his shoes on already. "I'll count to thirty, and then try to catch you."

Will gulped. "Well, catch me if you can," he feigned confidence.

The two opened the door and Will stationed himself in a playful starting pose.

Elliott smirked. "Okay Byers, THREE, TWO, ONE, GO!" Will took off down his driveway toward Mirkwood.

It didn't take long for Elliott to catch up once Will got going. He was a cross country champ, after all. As he passed Will, he cheered and brushed his hand along Will's shoulder. Will nearly tripped at the physical contact, and sped up, trying to at least stay close to Elliott. They weren't far from the sign at this point.

Will's skinny legs pounded the pavement of Mirkwood. The adrenaline running gave him never quite tasted the same after the events of the past few years, but this time, it was sweeter. The curly locks of the figure in front of him bounced almost teasingly as Will struggled to catch up to his new friend.

Finally, Elliott halted at the stop sign at the end of the street and a sweet, silly, snorting giggle poured of his mouth. "BEAT YOU!" Elliott beamed, arms swinging up in a celebratory _whoop!_

Will bounded the last few yards and crashed into him, toppling them over into the grassy clearing on the side of the road. Will snickered and scrunched his eyes in bemusement and a tiny bit of pain as they rolled in the dirt together.

Elliott draped an arm over Will's chest (and Will's throat caught as pink began creeping to his cheeks). "You owe me next month's edition, Byers." Elliott's bright blue eyes sparkled, his delicate frame silhouetted by the burning, setting sun.

Will's breath hitched further in his chest. "S-sure thing," he stuttered, eyes shining and a smile twitching across his lips. Will watched intently as Elliott's eyes drifted from his eyes to slightly lower on Will's face. _Is he… is he looking at my lips? _

There was something different about Elliott's eyes now. Will couldn't quite make it out. The silliness was gone, and it was replaced with something darker… for a moment, Will's stomach flipped and he rushed to the memories of bullies glaring at him with their dark, beady eyes. Elliott's eyes weren't dark like that. They were softer. But there was a twitch of fear knitted in his brow. Confusion maybe. Nervousness.

Will jolted a bit. The look in Elliott's eyes was the same look that Will had seen countless times in Mike's as he stared at Eleven, the look that Will had stared at Mike with for years before slowly and silently moving on as his relationship with Eleven grew under his mom and Hopper's budding romance.

Will realized he too had been staring and broke out his reverie as Elliott bit his lip nervously. Now it was Will's turn for his eyes to dip down to his friend's lips. He thought to himself, _No way. There is no way that Elliott would like me like that, no way that sweet, goofy, funny, new kid Elliott could ever be… like me. _But here they were, lying side by side, Elliott propped up on his shoulder, arm draped lightly on Will's beating chest, eyes locked.

Elliott gulped and fidgeted, and Will tried to decide whether to pull away. Realizing he had been silent for quite a while now, Will stammered out, "Has it been a good day for you?"

Elliott's lips quirked into a bemused smile, and he began to shift away from Will, looking up at the sky instead. _No, don't go away… _Will's mind called out silently. They were still close enough to feel each other's warmth, however, and Will felt himself inclining naturally to Elliott's body. Elliott whispered, eyes wandering the setting sun, something Will knew he always did, "It has been… the best and worst day of my life." Will startled, and jumped up a bit, looking at Elliott's dark smile. _Have I made it the worst? Am I being too clingy? Annoying? Am I too close to him right now? _Before Will could speak, however, Elliott continued, "It has been the best day because I could spend it with you. I can't believe I met you when I came to Hawkins. I didn't know someone so sweet, smart, talented, and fun existed. Someone nerdy like me, someone who I can talk to. It has been the best day, because I could be by your side. But it has been the worst day, because the whole time I've been with you, I have wanted to say something, and I have had to keep it in, because I am so, so scared."

Will's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth a bit to squeak something out, but before he could, Elliott's face steeled over in courage, and he flipped over onto Will and pressed his lips to him. Will's brain short-circuited. Elliott's lips were perfect and soft and kissed him so gently that Will had to keep telling himself that this was real. Will slowly melted into the kiss and brought one hand lightly to Elliott's cheek. Before long, the two broke apart. Will's eyes widened and he stared at Elliott, who blushed and looked down at his lap.

"Elliott…" Will whispered.

"Will, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to spring that on you," Elliott stammered, cheeks reddening.

"No, Ell, I… I am so happy you, uh, did that. I have been wanting to do that for a while." Will looked deeply at Elliott.

"You called me Ell." Elliott smirked. "Like your sister."

Will blushed burgundy. "Oh my god, no, not like that. I just… want a nickname for you. I definitely don't think of you like my sister." Elliott laughed and Will's heart panged at the lovely sound. He could listen to that all day.

"Okay, okay Byers. If you don't think of me as your sister, who do you think of me as?" Elliott's eyes shifted from silly to vulnerable.

Will's breath hitched. "I think… I think of you… I mean. I like you, like… I want you to be - I want us to be, I - what I mean is, I want you to be… my…

"_Boyfriend." _Will's heart melted as Elliott said it at the same time he did.

"You really do? Because… that's what I want, too." Elliott smiled.

Will felt a surge of boldness and ran with it, hands grabbing Ell's face again and crashing their lips together. They kissed for a few moments, and when their lips parted, Will whispered, "Ell - will you be my boyfriend?"

Elliott squealed a little and nodded, before his eyes glassed over a bit. "Yes. Yes, Will, I want that so badly. But…"

"But your dad." Will's eyes fell. "Does he know that you… I mean, the way he acted at your meet?"

Elliott looked down. "Long story. He, uh, he kind of knows. And he is not okay with it."

Will was beginning to connect some dots but not all of them, and he still had many questions. However, he let it go for now and simply nodded in understanding. "My, uh, my dad used to call me a fairy and a fag all the time. He was a piece of shit. Back then, he just thought I was too sensitive. Who knew he'd end up right?" Will smiled ruefully.

"Yeah." Ell's eyes welled up. "I mean, my answer is yes. All I want is to be your boyfriend. But I don't know who we could tell. Who we can trust. Definitely not my family, or your dad. And I don't know our friends or the rest of your family well enough to know what they would say. I just - don't want you to get hurt."

Will shook his head, "I am terrified of telling anyone too. Maybe we can figure that out together. Right now, we can just… be us?"

Ell nodded, fear abated for a moment. Will's heart melted at the sight. Ell's warm body shifted and he kissed Will again. But this time, he climbed on top of the slighter boy, legs wrapping around Will's waist. Will couldn't believe any of this. How did he get here? He really didn't know. What he did know was that he never wanted to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

The boys stayed out in the dark, kissing and exploring one another, for another half an hour as the sun set above them. Will didn't ever want to stop. He finally understood why all his friends spent every second making out with their girlfriends. _Girlfriends _Will thought to himself sadly. I wish loving Elliott was okay in everyone's eyes. Mostly, he just really wanted to tell someone. Shout it from the rooftops, how much he cared about this boy.

Elliott pulled away beaming and breathing heavily and rolled onto his back beside Will. "My god, Byers, where did you learn to kiss like that? You literally have me breathless."

Will blushed. "Uh, nowhere doofus. You're my, uh, first kiss." Will felt shy. If Elliott thought he'd kissed someone before, does that mean Elliott had experience? Will was scared he wouldn't measure up.

Elliott seemed to sense Will tense up and immediately reassured him, "Will, I am honored to be your first kiss. I hope it was a good experience for you.

Will scoffed. "I think I could kiss you for the rest of my life." Both boys giggled. Will stalled a moment, and then asked, "Was I your first kiss?"

Elliott was quiet, and Will panicked. He was so afraid of rejection. Then, Elliott spoke. "No, you're not. There was this boy in middle school back in Michigan. He was my first crush." Elliott sighed. Will's heart sank. "But I could never let my dad find out that I was… that I liked him, and so I kind of dated his sister as cover. I kissed her after our first date, and realized I never wanted to do that again. There was no spark. So, I broke up with her the next day."

Will held his breath for a second and then burst into laughter.

Elliott swatted him playfully. "Hey, Byers, that was a personal story!

Will shook his head and waved his hands placatingly, "I know I know, but I was so worried you had experience over me and that I wouldn't be enough for you, and that completely wiped away my fears."

Elliott smiled, "You're my first kiss that matters, Byers."

Will stopped laughing and looked into Elliott's sweet, warm gaze. "You're all that matters, Ell."

Elliott glanced down at his watch. "Holy shit! Will, we've been gone way too long, your brother is going to flip!"

Will glanced down and realized they'd been out for an hour, and he'd told his brother they'd be back in five minutes. "Fuck, we've got to go."

The two made a mad dash back home, hands linked the entire time. Will felt the happiest he had in a long time.

They dropped hands as they rounded Will's street. When they arrived at Will's home, both sighed in relief that Joyce hadn't returned home yet, because if she had they'd be in deep trouble. Unfortunately, Nancy's car was gone and Jonathan was sitting on the front porch.

"Jesus Christ Will, you had me terrified," Jonathan bit out, hugging his brother fiercely.

Elliott looks nervous, and Will scrambled to lighten the situation. "I'm really sorry Jonathan, we lost track of time just talking down the road.

Jonathan opened his mouth to chastise him further, but something in his eyes changed strangely and he shut it. "Fine. I'll let it go. But Elliott, I'm driving you home."

Elliott nodded vigorously. "Thank you so much, Jonathan. I am really sorry for making you worry."

Jonathan looked at Elliott with the same strange look and nodded. "No worries kid. Just hop in the back." Elliott sat in the backseat and Will took the passenger's side. It was a quiet ride, and a bit awkward. Jonathan turned on the Beatles, much to Elliott's (and in turn, Will's) delight, but kept glancing over at Will and back at Elliott with that same strange look. Still, he said nothing.

Elliott lived near Mike, and they made it there smoothly. Jonathan parked in Elliott's driveway. "Alright, have a good night Elliott. See you around."

Elliott smiled softly and thanked Jonathan, before turning to Will. "See you tomorrow Byers?"

Will's heart sped up. Elliott looked beautiful in the twilight. "Yes, see you tomorrow."

Elliott nodded shyly and left the car, bounding adroitly up his front steps and slipping into his front door.

This left Will and Jonathan alone on the ride home. Will glanced at Jonathan, expecting a soapbox from his brother about staying on top of his time. Instead, Jonathan kept his eyes on the road and said nothing. Will felt uneasy. This wasn't like Jonathan. He normally was the one pulling conversation out of Will, not using the silent treatment on him. Will had no idea what this all meant.

Just before they got home, Jonathan made a wrong turn and drove his beaten-up car down the trail that got them close to where Castle Byers used to stand. "Jonathan, where are we-"

"Just… trust me, okay?" Jonathan said quietly.

Will, even more nervous now, sat back in his seat. "Okay," he squeaked.

Jonathan parked at the end of the trail, close enough to see through the trees where Castle Byers once was. He turned off the car, clenched his jaw, and turned to look at Will. "Do you… do you remember when dad left, and we made Castle Byers?"

Will nodded slowly. It was burned in his mind in relation to when the shadow monster possessed him and his friends and family were working to keep him alive. "Dad left us. You made Castle Byers with me to make me feel better."

Jonathan nodded. "Yeah, we worked all night on it, through the rain. And I said something to you that night. I said that, no matter what, I will always be here for you. That no matter what, you can trust me to have your back."

Will was stunned and had no idea what was happening. "Jonathan, I'm really sorry about coming home late, I didn't mean to upset you so much-"

"No, no, no, it's not that, I understand." Jonathan waved him off. "What I'm trying to say is that I hope you know you can talk to me. About anything. And I will always be here for you." Jonathan glanced down at his clasped hands, and then directly at Will. "Will, do you have something you want to talk about?"

Will's stomach dropped. Jonathan knew. How in the hell did he know? Had he found the drawing Will had made of Elliott? Had he somehow seen them holding hands while they were running on the highway? He swallowed thickly, cheeks getting hot. "I-I don't know what you are talking about Jonathan," he said weakly.

"Will…" Jonathan's eyes pleaded.

"What, Jonathan? What do you want from me? I can't… I can't even say it out loud to myself." Will bit back a sob. He couldn't' believe this is where the night had gone.

Jonathan too started crying. "Will, I love you, brother. Please… I'm here if you will let me be."

Will bit his lip and stared intently at his hands, tears dripping down into his lap. It was now or never. "Jonathan – I'm…. I'm gay. I like boys."

Silence. Will panicked, still not willing to look up at his older brother. "I have always been this way and I just didn't really ever realize it or name it until tonight to be honest. I don't want this to change how you see me, I haven't changed at all, I'm still just Will-"

"Will!" Jonathan snapped. Will snapped his gaze up. Jonathan was crying freely but smiling. _Smiling. _Will's heart lifted. Jonathan continued, "I love you. You're my little brother and my best friend. All I want is for you to be happy, and for you to be you. And I am so, so happy that you trust me enough to tell me this. It changes nothing. You are you, and I love everything about you, brother." Now it was Will's time to sob. Jonathan reached across the center console and held his brother. Will let all the years of denial, self-hatred, frustration, and pain come out as he cried into his brother's chest.

When Will's tears finally subsided, he sat up and sniffled, feeling a bit embarrassed at his reaction. "Sorry…" Will breathed out.

Jonathan shook his head and chuckled. "What have we been working on, Will? Quit it with the apologies!"

Will huffed out a laugh. "Okay, okay."

Jonathan started the car and began driving the short distance home. Will sat with his thoughts. He couldn't believe he had just come out to his brother. And Jonathan had accepted him. He was over the moon. Still, one thing was nagging at him.

"Jonathan?"

"Yeah, Will?"

"How… how did you, like, know?" Will was so perplexed.

Jonathan burst out laughing. "Oh my god, yeah. Will, look in the front seat mirror," Jonathan said, flipping down Will's visor.

Will opened the mirror, confused, and inspected his reflection. He started, "I don't know what you're talking about-" and then fell silent as he saw it. A dark purple hickey had blossomed high on his neck. "Oh. My. God."

Jonathan was laughing fully now as they pulled into the driveway. "Yeah, bud. You left for an hour for one-on-one time with a boy you have not stopped talking about since he moved here, and you two come home giggling with that on your neck. I feel like I have known for a while, but tonight I really knew."

Will's cheeks burned with embarrassment. He couldn't believe his first hickey had given him away. He would need to be more careful. "God, that is humiliating," he sighed.

Jonathan nudged him. "No, it is not, we have all been there. Just… be safe okay? You're still my baby brother," Jonathan raised an eyebrow at Will.

Will was officially burgundy red. "Oh my god Jonathan shut uuuuup." He chuckled and clutched his knees to his chest.

Suddenly, he realized he needed to get past his mom with a hickey on his neck. "Fuck, how am I going to sneak by mom with this?"

Jonathan stayed smiling, but his eyes got a little sad. "You're not going to tell her?"

Will paused. "I am glad I told you… but I think I need a little time before I let her in. Plus, I am pretty sure I don't want to tell her with this thing on my neck."

Jonathan nodded, lightening a bit. "True, true, that is not ideal." He grew more serious. "You know she'd be okay with it though, right? She loves you more than anyone loves another person."

Will nodded. "I know that. Just… give me a couple of days."

Jonathan seemed satisfied. "Okay, I'll take it. Now here's the plan. I'll go in and distract her with some questions about college and you slip past us and head to my room. Nancy keeps some make-up there. You're both pale as a vampire, so her foundation should work alright on you. Put some of that on, and mom'll never notice in the low light."

Will nodded. "Wow. Good plan."

Jonathan added, "Oh, and tomorrow? Make sure you wear a turtleneck. Speaking from experience, it's your safest bet."

He smiled sneakily at Will, who made a grossed-out face thinking about his brother and Nancy. "Ugh, gross Jonathan."

Jonathan laughed. "Yeah, yeah, so gross." His expression softened. "I'm really glad you told me, Will."

Will smiled. "Me too, Jonathan."

Jonathan clapped his hands together. "Okay, kid, let Operation 'Sneak You in Without any Awkward Questions from Mom' commence!"


	6. Chapter 6

Will was on cloud nine. It had only been three days since he and Elliott had kissed, but everything was already so different. Nothing had outwardly changed necessarily. They hadn't told anyone. They still all hung out as a group at school. Elliott still came over to tutor El for a bit in the evenings. Only Jonathan was the wiser. But for Will? His life was turned completely upside down.

To start, Elliott had a penchant for passing notes. He had done this with the party since they had all become friends, sending tiny messages to them all during class time to keep from melting out of boredom. But now, Will found tiny, secret love letters tucked in his locker after each break. It was so small and thoughtful and everything that Will had been wishing for from a significant other. On Will's part, he had gifted Elliott with one of his old walkie talkies, and they chatted before bed each night, whispering sweet sentiments to one another as they drifted to sleep.

Additionally, Will was more confident around his friends. He spoke up a lot more, Elliott beaming every time he did. It was as if a tiny bout of confidence had been released as soon as he and Elliott both came out to each other, and Will was so much happier. Everyone noticed it, even Steve, who said "Byers, where did this voice of yours come from?" when they went to visit him at the movie palace midweek.

But the best change of all was the kissing. After tutoring El, Elliott had begun spending a bit of time in Will's room before Jonathan gave him a ride home. And that time was devoted solely to making out. Will finally understood Mike's weird fascination with Eleven's mouth, because if Will had it his way, he would kiss Elliott for the rest of the week.

It was Thursday night, and Elliott needed to leave soon. He had spent an hour tutoring Eleven on math, and then thirty minutes with Will in his bedroom. They both knew Jonathan was supposed to drive him home soon and that they should get ready to leave, but Will just couldn't keep his hands-off Elliott.

"Mmm, Byers, you taste so good," Elliott whispered in Will's ear as he kissed down his neck. Will gasped in response, hands gripping Elliott's shoulder hard.

Just then, the door burst open, and Eleven's voice carried in, "Will, Elliott, I have one more question on this problem-" she stopped dead in her tracks. Will squeaked and leapt off Elliott's lap, landing in a heap on the floor. _Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck Eleven did you not learn to KNOCK when a bedroom door is closed? _Will breathed, panicking at what she might say. Elliott seemed just as terrified, eyes darting back and forth between the near brother and sister.

Eleven was silent a moment. Her face was blank, unreadable. Then, she spoke.

"You said you didn't like kissing, Will! You liar!" She burst into a teasing smile.

_Oh my god. _Will breathed out heavily. He forgot. She really didn't know enough about discrimination in society to know that most people in Hawkins looked down on gay people. For her, it must not matter.

"El…" Will whispered. "Are you… are you okay with me kissing Elliott?"

Eleven looked perplexed. "I was kidding when I called you a liar. Of course that's okay." She paused. "Is he YOUR boyfriend, Will?"

Will sputtered, "Erm, I guess, yeah. I mean yes, yes he is." He thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Eleven, are you okay with Elliott being my boyfriend too?"

Eleven looked at him like he had grown another head. "Why does it matter?"

"It just does," Will said.

Eleven thought for a moment. "Well, I know I like kissing Mike, and that Mike is my boyfriend, so why shouldn't you have one? Also, I like Elliott a lot. I think you are nice together."

Will breathed lighter again, glancing at Elliott who had finally regained his composure and was straightening up from where he had been cowering. They smiled at one another.

Just then, Jonathan slid up behind Eleven, about to knock on Will's door, and paused, mouth agape. He took in the situation and looked at Will. "Does she…"

"She does." Will smiled.

"is everything…"

"Everything's great," Elliott smiled too.

Jonathan nodded slowly, before saying, "Well, anyway, Elliott, I have to take you home. Will, why don't you stay here and you and Eleven can… talk?"

Again, Eleven look extremely confused, but Will understood. He would need to explain the full situation to her. "Okay, thanks, Jonathan."

Jonathan nodded and beckoned to Elliott, who scrambled to get all his stuff and say his goodbyes. Once the two left, Will turned to Eleven. "El?"

"Yeah Will?" She still looked perplexed. "Why are you being weird?"

He let out a small smile at that. He was being weird, he supposed. At least, he would be acting weird, if so many people didn't denounce being gay. "Listen El. I know you might not know this, but some people aren't okay with people like Elliott and me… with boys who like boys, or with girls who like girls."

Eleven continued staring, seeming even more confused. "Why?" she asked.

"Who knows, honestly. Their reasons aren't good. But anyway… people don't think it's normal."

Eleven chewed her lip. "Well, so what? I am not normal. I am a freak. Who wants to be normal?"

Will smiled a bit wider at her. "Not me, I guess. Because I really like Elliott. But Eleven, this is really important." He squared off and looked directly in her eyes. "You cannot tell anyone. It is a big secret and it is my secret. Only you and Jonathan know."

Her face knitted. "Why can't I tell Mike? Or our friends? Won't they be happy for you?"

Will shook his head. He still needed time before they knew. "I will tell them… eventually. Just… please promise me you will keep it a secret?"

Eleven looked deeply at him. "Okay." She smiled. "Our first brother-sister secret."

Will sighed quietly in relief. _Thank god. _"Yes El."

She stood there for a moment, before walking quietly into his room and sitting beside him. "What is your favorite thing about Elliott?"

Will was taken aback but recovered and went to grab his sketchbook. "Everything."

Eleven grinned. "That's my favorite thing about Mike, too," she teased.

Will made a pretend grossed-out face and flipped to his most recent drawing, the one he'd been working on of Elliott. "Plus, look how handsome he is."

She gazed in awe at his lifelike portrait, scrambling to get a closer look. "You need to give him this, Will! It is so good!"

Will blushed. "Do you think he'd like it?"

Eleven nodded slowly. "If Mike ever drew me, I would swoon."

Will laughed. He loved Eleven's romance movie lines. "Okay, I'll give it to him."

They smiled at one another just as the front door opened and Joyce called from the door, "Eleven, Will! Hop and I are home!"

Eleven turned to look at Will, this time with a serious expression on her face. "Will, I won't tell anyone. But tell our friends soon, okay? Friends don't lie."

Will smiled. "Okay El. I promise."

El left the room, and Will, fueled with a new resolved and optimism, followed her out. The first thing he saw with his mother smiling at him, Hop's hand on her shoulder. The love in Joyce's eyes was unmistakable. He gulped, and blurted out, "I'm dating Elliott. I'm gay and I'm dating Elliott."

Joyce's eyes widened, and she looked at Eleven, who was smiling nervously at everyone. Then, she looked back to Will. "Oh sweet boy… Hop and I know."

Will gaped. "How… how does EVERYONE know this before I say it?" He was honestly a little annoyed.

Hop rushed in to save Joyce. "Kid, we're here for you no matter what. Thing is… you're not as quiet on the walkie talkie with Elliott as you think."

Will could just NOT get this coming out thing right. "My GOD. First Jonathan sees my-" he was mid-gesture to his neck when he realized who he was talking to and switched the subject, "-then El walks in on us, and now this! Am I the worst teenager ever? I'm supposed to have control of these things!"

Joyce smiled with tears in her eyes. "Will, I'm your mom. I have known you your whole life, I just didn't want to say anything to influence you. And I love you. No matter what. All I want is for you to be happy."

Hop, who was lovingly looking at Joyce through her whole speech, turned to Will and said gruffly, "Uh, ditto kid." Will stared at them both. This was absurd. In one week, it went from Will being completely on his own to being accepted as gay by four incredibly important people in his life.

"I…" Will didn't know what to say.

Joyce saved the day. "We obviously have a lot to talk about, my sweet boy. But it can wait. Sleep tonight, and we can talk tomorrow. Just know, I love you, and I am here for you."

Will felt tears prick his eyes. He ran into his mom's arms, burying his face into her soft shirt, feeling Hop and Eleven wrap their arms around the Byers.

Will knew there would be a lot of hard conversations in the next few days. But right now, he was just happy to have his mom tell him she loved him.

That night, Will called Elliott, trying to be extra quiet after what Joyce and Hopper had said. "Hey Ell? You there? Over." Will whispered.

The other end of the line crackled for a bit until it buzzed alive and Elliott's voice sounded through, "Hey Byers, are you doing okay? Now that Jonathan and El know, I didn't know how you were feeling? Did she promise not to tell anybody? Over." Elliott seemed nervous.

Will chuckled before pressing the button and saying, "I'm good. Yes, Eleven is okay with it, and yes she promised not to tell anyone yet, not even Mike. But I… uh… I told my mom. And El's dad. Over."

Silence.

"Elliott, you there? Over."

"Elliott?"

Finally, Elliott responded. "Hey, sorry, I was just, uh, taken aback. Did it go well? Over." Even his distorted voice over the walkie sounded weaker than it did before.

Will answered carefully, "They are okay with it. They said they loved me. Over."

More silence.

"Elliott? Are you okay? Did I do something wrong? Over."

Elliott's voice crackled, "No, No, Will you did nothing wrong. I am so happy for you. I just… I am a little jealous. And sad. Over."

Will sank into his bed. Of course. Here Will was, four people in his life accepting him, and Elliott was still living a lie at home. Not only that, but he was handling it all without his mother. "Elliott, I am so sorry, I wasn't thinking. Over."

"No worries, sweetheart. I am glad you are being supported. That is what you deserve. Over."

"I just wish that you could be supported too. Over."

Yeah… but I'm okay with the small victories for now. Over."

"…Me too." Will sighed. "I miss you. Over."

Elliott chuckled a bit more lightly. "You just saw me! Over."

"I know, I know. But still." Will snuggled under the covers. "I wish you were here by my side still. Over."

A sigh. "Me too."

Will yawned. "Sweetheart? I think I am going to sleep. Over." It had been an exhausting day.

"Of course, Byers. I… uh… I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Sleep well and sweet dreams. Over."

"Sweet dreams Ell. Over."

Will shut off the walkie and sunk deep in his bed. And when he fell asleep, he did not dream of monsters like he normally did. He dreamt of Elliott.


End file.
